Kiddos in the Kitchen Podcast
Season 1
Episode 0:
Kiddos in the Kitchen: An Important (Albeit Messy) Adventure
Meet Stephanie Conner, your host and guide, a parent and an advocate for bringing kids into the kitchen. Here’s the story of how we decided to start this podcast and what you can expect in the first season.
Episode 1: Raising independent kids
Meet Julian Frederick, a rock-star kid chef, and his sous chef — his amazing mama, Toria. Together, they run the Step Stool Chef and have an important message about raising independent kids.
Episode 2: in pursuit of A healthier Relationship with Food
Malina Malkani hasn’t always had a healthy relationship with food. But after three daughters and an epiphany, she’s all in. The pediatric nutritionist and spokeswoman for the American Academy of Dietetics is here to help us make peace in the kitchen.
Episode 3: Cultivating Joy in the Kitchen
We might think a parent’s main responsibility in the kitchen is to offer healthy foods. But Melanie Potock, a certified speech language pathologist who specializes in feeding children, offers a different view. Our job is more fundamental than that — our job is joy.
small plate (bonus): talking turkey 2019
Thanksgiving is a special holiday, especially if you love family and food. In this bonus episode, we share thoughts on Thanksgiving cooking from Toria Frederick of The Step Stool Chef as well as a funny story about turkey from Margie Saidel, a registered dietitian and VP of Nutrition and Sustainability at Chartwells K12.
Episode 4: Baking with Kids
It’s the holidays, and that means cookies! It can also mean a messy kitchen and some stress as you strive for an idyllic baking experience with your kiddos. Wendy McGowan, a professional cake and cookie decorator, is here to help make it go more smoothly — from how to set appropriate expectations, to what to look for in a sugar cookie recipe, and even how to make less mess.
small plate (bonus): A Sweet Holiday Story
Melanie Potock, author of Adventures in Veggieland, helps parents work with their little picky eaters. But she stresses that our main job is about joy. In this bonus episode, she shares a joyfully sweet kitchen story of her own.
Episode 5: Saving Time (and Having Fun) in the Kitchen
Not enough time to cook and do all the other things on your to-do list? Andrea Anthony gets it. The owner of the Lobster Roll in New York and star of Eat, Drink and Bake with Andrea is a mother and grandmother. And she has a number of strategies for making the most of your time in the kitchen. Then, Margie Saidel from Chartwells K-12 shares a few ideas on how to make kitchen time more fun for our kiddos.
Episode 6: kids who cook become adults who cook
Chef Del Sroufe is an accomplished chef and cookbook author who has worked in vegan and vegetarian kitchens, developing plant-based recipes, for more than 30 years. He stresses the importance of whole foods, and shares his thoughts on working with kids in the kitchen — and just how valuable it is. Then, Kim Bise, a mom and food blog writer, has a challenge for parents: Spend 15 minutes or less each day getting your kids into the kitchen. She shows us just how easy it can be.
Episode 7: Cooking for the health of it
Rani Polak, MD, a physician and classically trained chef, shares the idea of culinary medicine — how our food choices impact our health in a profound way. And, he says, the healthiest, most nourishing food is the food you cook yourself. (Science says so!) In this episode, Dr. Polak also shares some ideas on getting kids to eat their vegetables and a fun, easy vegetable spring roll recipe you can do with your kiddos at home.
Episode 8: home cooking during a pandemic
Jenny Tschiesche, a nutritionist in England, shares her tips for healthy, creative meal planning and safe cooking while we’re sheltering in place during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic.
small plate (Bonus): earth day
Happy Earth Day! In this bonus episode, Earthy B’s Rebecca Kimber shares her thoughts on sustainability and the circular economy — and how we can all be just a little bit more environmentally minded in the kitchen.
Episode 9: Growing up in a food family
Co-owner of the Big Bottom Market in Guerneville, California, and author of the cookbook BISCUIT, Michael Volpatt shares his experience growing up in a food family and how his early life experiences affected him. Then, Phillip Baxman, the executive chef of the Westin in Cincinnati, Ohio, teaches us how to properly hold and use a knife.
Small plate (bonus): kitchen memories
In this Small Plate bonus episode, we hear from people from around the country sharing kitchen memories that stayed with them over time — and how they’re making memories in their kitchens today.
Episode 10: Kitchen Confidence, empowerment and fun
In the Season 1 finale of Kiddos in the Kitchen, Margie Saidel, the vice president of Nutrition Sustainability at Chartwells K12, a contract food service management company, shares advice for getting kids interested in food and cooking. Then, a professor and two students from Middle Tennessee State University share what they’ve learned about engaging kids and getting more confident in the kitchen.
Tell us about YOUR kitchen story.
Have you had an amazing experience in the kitchen with your kiddo? A funny one? A sweet memorable one? Or do you have memories of time in the kitchen with your parents or grandparents that stick with you? You could be on the show! Share your kitchen story by sending us a voice memo. Record a 1- to 2-minute story on your phone and send to us at the email link below.